Category: Feature Stories

In the Chernobyl Nuclear Exclusion Zone, it is almost unheard of to see a dog over four years old. The 1,000 animals here live a precarious life amid the bears and wolves of the forest. If they are lucky, a compassionate power plant worker will shelter and feed them through the worst months of the winter.

That's right, despite what many people think, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is still up and running with over 3,000 employees. These workers do what they can for the dogs (250 dogs live right at the plant), but until now, they have been prohibited from removing any animals from the area. 

Thanks to SPCA International's partner organization Clean Futures Fund (CFF), some of these dogs now have hope for a life with a loving family. Through radiation tracking ear tags, CFF has determined that the dogs have extremely low levels of radiation and are safe for adoption. With your help, we are sponsoring the first 15 puppy adoptions out of the Exclusion Zone.

Each of these 15 cuddly puppies will have safe radiation levels, be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, and de-wormed. They will be quarantined for a minimum of 30 days before they go home to a loving family in the Ukraine or elsewhere. If you are interested in adopting one of these dogs, please email [email protected].

The 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster forced 120,000 people to evacuate their homes. They were only allowed to bring what they could carry, and many families had no choice but to leave behind beloved family pets. Once these pets were considered contaminated, people were prohibited from removing them from the Exclusion Zone.

Today, the Exclusion Zone still exists. Access is highly restricted, and no one lives there except wild animals and an estimated 1,000 dogs and cats (including 250 stray dogs living at the plant) who are descendants of family pets left behind during the evacuation. Over 3,000 people still work at this active power plant and try to provide shelter and food for the animals during harsh winters.

The fear of radiation from contaminated animals led the Ukrainian government to send soldiers to shoot these animals in an attempt to control their population. This inhumane policy was ineffective at curbing animal population growth.

SPCA International and Clean Futures Fund are working with the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the Ukrainian government on a widescale spay and neuter campaign. The first clinic was held in August 2017, when over 340 animals were spayed or neutered, vaccinated, de-wormed, and given dosimeter ear tags to measure their radiation levels.

This June, our goal is to reach the remaining animals in the Exclusion Zone.  We have planned a month-long campaign with Clean Futures Fund and over 100 volunteers to make this a reality. Though all of our volunteers are paying for their own costs, you can help provide veterinary supplies and vaccines.

In Beirut, shiny pet store windows show off cute, wiggly purebred puppies. Huskies and golden retrievers top the list of popular breeds, and the demand is strong. In a country where pet adoption isn’t the norm, it is common for people to walk right past suffering street dogs and into a shop to find the next furry addition to their family- all too often that cute puppy finds themself in the street dog’s position just several months later.

We just returned from a visit to our partner, BETA (Beirut Ethical Treatment of Animals), where they are working to rescue dogs off the street and are encouraging people to adopt one of the thousands of Beirut dogs in need of a home. 

BETA staff gave us a tour of their beautiful open-air hillside shelter where they house nearly 700 dogs. Dogs are housed in large runs shared with other dogs of similar size and temperament, and are let out in groups each day to run free in nature. We were concerned that dogs might not return, but staff assured us they always come back to the safety and security of BETA’s shelter where they know they will be fed and cared for.

We were thrilled to see the work of BETA first hand, but that wasn’t the reason for our trip. We were there to pick up our most recent group of Operation Baghdad Pups: Worldwide rescues! We are so grateful to BETA for providing a safe haven for these dogs on their long journey between Iraq and their soldiers’ homes in the US. BETA has dogs available for adoption in Beirut and also for families in the United States and Canada. You can help be part of the solution by giving a once neglected and starving Beirut street animal a home today!

In Tanzania, subsistence farmers depend on donkeys to keep their families alive. We’ve seen donkeys used in almost every aspect of transportation- to carry water from miles away, to bring crops to market, or to carry a sick family member to the nearest hospital.  

Unfortunately, donkeys are rarely vaccinated, are often equipped with ill-fitting carts and harnesses that cause festering sores, and can become drastically overworked. In the wild, donkeys live up to 30 years, but we’re told that in Tanzania, working donkeys may live only three or four years.

Our partner organization TAPO (Tanzania Animal Protection Organization) is working diligently to enhance the quality and longevity of life for donkeys. They know farmers and families need donkeys to survive, so they focus on education and assistance to create a better life for donkeys throughout northern Tanzania. 

We recently partnered with TAPO to host a donkey clinic where we provided education to over 120 farmers and medical assistance to over 760 donkeys.

Here, a TAPO staff member drains an infected wound and talks to the farmer about how to provide the best care to the animal. The farmer is learning to provide a longer, healthier and happier life for the donkey, which will also benefit his family. 

 By Emma Koeniger, SPCAI Content and Digital Media Coordinator

This month SPCA International transported eight cats from the Middle East to their forever homes in the United States. These friendly felines were rescued by military service members and government contractors who were on deployment in the Middle East. The rescue logistics were challenging, but these combat cats love their new lives!

Cheetoh’s comfy chair in Washington state is a far cry from the streets of Iraq. He is all purrs in his forever home with the Air Force veteran who became his best bud.

Meat Dough is thrilled to once again be perched on the shoulder of the Army Officer who saved her. She loves playing in her new home in Tennessee.

Princess Jasmine is learning that Oregon is a little colder than the Middle East. Luckily there are so many cozy spots in her forever home with the Army Officer who rescued her.

Dan is enjoying life in Georgia. He is so happy to be back in the arms of the Army Lieutenant who found Dan abandoned by his mother on the streets of Iraq.

Midnight and her three kittens, Simba, Nala and Aslan, couldn’t ask for more now that they are in their forever home in Texas. We’re so glad they get to spend the rest of their lives with the Air Force Lieutenant that rescued them from the verge of death in Iraq, nursed them to health and refused to leave them behind.

The 2017 hurricane season ravaged the islands of Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and St. Martin, among many other communities. Animal welfare organizations in these areas were left without power, food for their animals, stable shelter and proper refrigeration for medication and supplies.

Rebuilding after the hurricanes passed was difficult and expensive. SPCA International reached out to organizations located in these devastated communities to help them rebuild. In Puerto Rico and St. Martin, I Love My Island Dog, El Faro de los Animales, Island Dog Inc. and Amigos de Los Animales received over $50,000 in grants through our Disaster Relief Fund. These grants will help them reconstruct their shelters, provide urgent medical care, and acquire food and clean water for the animals in their care. 

SPCA International was also able to deliver many pallets of veterinary supply aid to St. Thomas Humane Society. These medical supplies will help them care for the animals in their shelter as they continue their life-saving work.

These grants and supply shipments would not have been possible without the support of our loyal donors. Because of them, we are able to help shelters affected by natural disasters continue their essential work for the animals in their communities.

In late 2017 SPCA International also provided Disaster Relief Fund grants to animal welfare organizations located in Florida and Texas in response to the devastation caused by the hurricane season.